Former Australian Test wicket-keeper turned England selector Rodney Marsh said Sunday he believes veteran paceman Glenn McGrath and leg-spinner Shane Warne hold the key to their country's hopes in the upcoming Ashes tour. Marsh, who is also director of England's National Cricket Academy, was not prepared to back the host nation to break Australia's 16-year hold on the Ashes but said England's cricket culture was stronger than ever.
The two sides play a five-Test series starting at Lord's in July.
Marsh said Australia's strengths lay in the extraordinary talents of keeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist and the experienced McGrath and Warne.
But he warned that the complexion of the series would change if both bowlers were hit by injury. "If you want to talk about the fundamental difference between the two teams you've just got to look at Warne and McGrath, with a thousand Test match wickets (between them), and then you go wherever you want to go," he said.